de her miserable by
their remarks. One man whom she chose was even called her wife, and
her son the child of Mamochisane's wife; but the arrangement was so
distasteful to Mamochisane herself that, as soon as Sebituane died, she
said she never would consent to govern the Makololo so long as she had a
brother living. Sekeletu, being afraid of another member of the family,
Mpepe, who had pretensions to the chieftainship, urged his sister
strongly to remain as she had always been, and allow him to support her
authority by leading the Makololo when they went forth to war. Three
days were spent in public discussion on the point. Mpepe insinuated that
Sekeletu was not the lawful son of Sebituane, on account of his
mother having been the wife of another chief before her marriage with
Sebituane; Mamochisane, however, upheld Sekeletu's claims, and at last
stood up in the assembly and addressed him with a womanly gush of tears:
"I have been a chief only because my father wished it. I always would
have preferred to be married and have a family like other women. You,
Sekeletu, must be chief, and build up your father's house." This was a
death-blow to the hopes of Mpepe.

As it will enable the reader to understand the social and political
relations of these people, I will add a few more particulars respecting
Mpepe. Sebituane, having no son to take the leadership of the "Mopato"
of the age of his daughter, chose him, as the nearest male relative, to
occupy that post; and presuming from Mpepe's connection with his family
that he would attend to his interests and relieve him from care, he
handed his cattle over to his custody. Mpepe removed to the chief
town, "Naliele", and took such effectual charge of all the cattle that
Sebituane saw he could only set matters on their former footing by the
severe measure of Mpepe's execution. Being unwilling to do this, and
fearing the enchantments which, by means of a number of Barotse doctors,
Mpepe now used in a hut built for the purpose, and longing for peaceful
retirement after thirty years' fighting, he heard with pleasure of our
arrival at the lake, and came down as far as Sesheke to meet us. He had
an idea, picked up from some of the numerous strangers who visited him,
that white men had a "pot (a cannon) in their towns which would burn up
any attacking party;" and he thought if he could only get this he would
be able to "sleep" the remainder of his days in peace. This he hoped to
obtain fro